This Changes Nothing
by TheRoseShadow21
Summary: "This changes nothing, she kept trying to tell herself. But she knew all too well that it was a lie. Because this changed everything. Absolutely everything." Major AU, rated T for now, may change to M depending. Two-parter.
1. Part 1

**You might have seen me post a preview of this fic on Tumblr, but just in case, the short version is that this is a crossover and a major AU, and it features the Juuni Taisen characters as members of 3E and eventually as contestants of the Juuni Taisen. Which means they're all the same age in this AU, and as such many things are different about them-for example, I've given Usagi a 'real' name, Hitsuji has a different surname in 3E, and I've modified abilities. To give an example of the last one, rather than having his 100 paths ability, Nezumi instead has total, perfect recall -he remembers literally everything that happens to him or that he witnesses. If you have any questions or whatever, leave them in a review, PM me, drop me an ask on Tumblr, whatever. I'll do my best to answer those questions**

 **I don't know when I'll have the second part up, but I have about a scene and three quarters left of it so...maybe soon? Anyway, I hope you enjoy this weird idea of mine!**

* * *

Toshiko got to the bottom of the hill, and felt her heart sinking as she looked at how far she had to go.

 _Damn it, I'm going to be sweaty by the time I actually get to the building, and that's not going to be a good look._ Toshiko took great care with her appearance, always making sure she looked as classy and elegant as befitted the dignity of her family name and status as elder daughter of Kunugigaoka's headmaster, and it irritated her that her daily efforts were going to be undone for the next year and a bit. All thanks to her father, who couldn't even yield a little and allow their driver to drop her off where she was currently standing. Oh no, she had to 'face her punishment' and walk the entire way.

 _Well,_ she thought grudgingly as she started the dreary trek, _at least this is a good sign that Father's angry. Just as planned. It serves him right, deciding that Kiyoko would enter the next_ Juuni Taisen _instead of me._ Toshiko was still steaming about that-deciding it would be right to send that unbearably innocent fourth grade squirt to one of the most elite battles in the world. Okay, so she'd be in her twenties by the time the next _Juuni Taisen_ actually rolled around, but the point remained. It was she, Toshiko, who had the superior skill and experience and maturity to be selected. Kiyoko may have been put in training since she started elementary school, just as Toshiko had been, but she was still in elementary school. Still a kid. She didn't deserve to be awarded with such a honour. _She doesn't deserve to be put through the ordeal that the next twelve years will inevitably be, either._ But that was a thought that Toshiko squashed quickly. She was hardly going to get her father to reconsider his decision if she showed a trace of the mercy he'd been trying to beat out of her.

Feeling herself starting to get out of breath, she paused next to a tree (though she didn't lean on it, for fear of scratching her perfectly tended hands), and caught her breath, wondering what it was about this trek that made her so tired. She'd been through training exercises more gruelling than this. She looked up, and with some relief noted she could see the ratty school building. As she continued on her way up, she mentally went over what she knew about her new classmates.

She knew for sure that busybody Misaki Yuki from Class 2C would be there-after she'd ninja-kicked a group of 3A students for bullying one of the now-just-graduated 3E, there was no way she wouldn't, and practically everyone knew about Ryoka Niwa's tragic story, though only Toshiko knew just how uncaring her father had been about the mess.. Then there was Michio Tsukui from 2D, who'd been caught working two part time jobs, and the kid in her old class who'd slept his way through the year-though she couldn't remember his name. There were even rumours that Eiji Kashii, the school's genius, would be in 3E, but she was pretty sure those were just rumours. Apart from that, she couldn't think of who else would be there.

What she did know was that there would only be twelve of them in the class this year. Clearly, her father hadn't found enough people who fell short of his precious school's high standards. _Meh, better for me, I guess. Only eleven losers to deal with. Or maybe ten and a half, since Yuki's not that bad when she's not harping on about helping others…_

Finally reaching the top, Toshiko slowed her pace, and was about to make her way over to the discreet shade of the tree in front of the building, when she spotted Ryoka sitting in the branches, birds surrounding her, face unnaturally calm. _Loser,_ Toshiko silently snorted despite the wave of pity that washed over her briefly. She just decided to stand by the building instead, and she put her bag down, and adjusted her skirt and blazer, smoothing out any creases. Then, she took her handkerchief out of her pocket and carefully mopped the sweat from her forehead, before bending down and pulling out her compact mirror and make-up bag from her school bag. Remaining kneeling, she flipped open the mirror, and studied her face and hair very carefully.

"No need to do that, dearie, you're pretty enough as it is."

The comment was followed by a wheezy laugh, and then a sudden burst of coughing. Toshiko didn't even need to look up to know who it was.

"Oh, you're in this class too, Yagi-kun?" she asked with fake politeness, continuing to adjust her hair.

"Eh. Unfortunately I missed too many days of school this year. Under the circumstances, it doesn't seem fair, but well, there's not much either of us can do about that, eh, dearie?"

"Why are you calling me 'dearie' like you're some old man?" Toshiko asked in exasperation.

She finally looked up at the unusually short boy-with her kneeling, they were now actually almost eye to eye-and glared daggers at him. He just smiled that sly smile and gave another wheezy laugh.

"I'll see you in class, Ino-san, dearie."

If Toshiko wasn't so refined, she'd have given Yagi the middle finger. As it was, she silently seethed as he sauntered in his odd way to the classroom.

"U-uhm."

 _Oh for crying out loud, what is it now?_

This time, when she looked up, she had to crane her neck, because this new guy was exceptionally tall. Slender and youthful, but very tall. Since she'd managed to fix herself up, she quickly shoved everything in her bag and stood up so she wouldn't feel quite so dumpy.

"Yes?"

"Was..was he bothering you, Ino-san?" the boy shuffled awkwardly, cheeks reddening.

 _What a loser…though he does have a nice voice, and he isn't bad looking either._ She had no idea who this guy was, but was hardly surprised that he knew exactly who she was, so she didn't bother to ask for his name. He shuffled embarrassedly, and Toshiko realised he was a little awestruck. If she hadn't been annoyed from the trek she'd just had, she might have been flattered.

"Oh, Yagi-kun? He's nothing I can't handle." She replied airily, making a dismissive gesture with her hand.

"I..I see. That's good."

The boy hunched into himself, and there was a moment where he looked like he wanted to say something else, but to Toshiko's relief he instead bowed awkwardly and loped hurriedly away into the class. Toshiko watched as he disappeared, and then noted a few other students coming up the hill, and decided that she should finally make her own way into class and let the end begin.

 **…**

Tsugiyoshi groaned as both his alarm clock and his phone started to blare at him-the former with insistent beeps, the latter with some stupidly irritating pop song that one of the Tsumita twins had programmed onto it for a prank. He decided to shut the alarm clock up first, slamming it in annoyance, before then sitting up and picking up the phone.

 _Rise and shine, Sumino-kun!_ The text from Misaki read, as it had always done every school morning for the past two weeks since they'd both ended up in 3E and they'd befriended each other. Though befriended was the wrong word, perhaps. It was more like Misaki had adopted him and he'd just…gone along with it? _Tch, it's too early in the morning to think about this._ Tiredly, he tapped out a reply.

 _I don't wanna._

Almost as soon as he'd sent it, another text from Misaki came in.

 _I'm making cheese rolls with melted middles for you._

 _Gimme proof._

A couple of seconds went past, and he looked out of the window. The moon was still the weird crescent shape it had been since it had mysteriously exploded two nights before. Nobody knew what had caused it, but Tsugiyoshi wasn't sure he cared about that so much as he was wondering why on earth the world hadn't ended as a result. He wondered if it mattered, but that wondering was cut short by the arrival of a message with a picture attached came in. He tapped on the picture, and was practically drooling at the image of the dough and the two different blocks of cheddar arranged on Misaki's kitchen counter, waiting to be turned into a cheesy, doughy delight. He was drooling just thinking about it.

 _Fine,_ he tapped, resigned to his fate. _I'll get up._

 _Awesome,_ Misaki replied with a smiley face emoji, _I'll see you at school._

 _Goddamn, I'm always a sucker for cheese._ Yawning, Tsugiyoshi got up and went through the motions of washing, brushing his teeth, pulling on his school uniform, and shoving his phone, lunch and water bottle in his school bag while double checking the books and stationery he'd packed in the night before, though there really was no point in that last action. Considering the cheese rolls waiting for him, he didn't bother with breakfast, instead quickly making and downing a cup of coffee before dumping the mug in the sink, and then going to shove his feet into his shoes and setting off to school.

No matter how much he loved cheese, he couldn't muster up the motivation to walk fast to school. It wasn't a particularly riveting place at the best of times, but being in 3E was a new circle of hell. Okay, so Misaki wasn't that bad, and the antics of the brothers and some of the others were mildly entertaining, and their teacher seemed as unmotivated as he was most days which meant they were left to their own devices. But still, it was _3E_ , of all the things. _Eh, I'll deal with it._

When he got to the top of the hill, Misaki was sitting under the tree with Ryoka, carrying on a cheery, mostly one-sided conversation, though Ryoka was at least paying attention to her, which given how spacey the green-haired girl could be, was definitely progress.

"Cheese rolls." Tsugiyoshi said the moment he reached the two of them.

"And good morning to you too," Misaki returned cheerfully. "Here you go."

"Good morning, Sumino-kun." Ryoka said quietly, clearly attempting to make her voice sound as cheerful as Misaki's, but not quite succeeding. _Well, that's fair enough, it's not like she's got much to be cheerful about, does she?_

Tsugiyoshi grabbed the bag eagerly and pulled one of the rolls out of the plastic bag Misaki had handed to him. It was perfectly round, grated cheese sprinkled on top, and it smelled heavenly. He took a huge bite and made appreciative noises as the combination of warm dough and melted cheddar hit his taste buds. _Heavenly…_

"Thwis ish amwayshing." He mumbled through mouthfuls.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Sumino-kun." Misaki scolded gently. "But thanks."

Tsugiyoshi remained standing as he wolfed down the rest of that first roll, and then reached for the second one.

"Are we the first ones here?" he asked, pointing at the school building.

The blinds were still down, and the rooms that didn't have blinds were dark. There seemed to be no signs of life anywhere in the building. Misaki frowned as she followed his gaze.

"Yes, it seems like it. I know I make a point of being early, but even so, it's unusual for Hoshima-sensei to not already be here…"

"Maybe he slept in?" Tsugiyoshi suggested. He knew full well that if he didn't have Misaki on his back, he might not even bother coming in some days.

"Maybe, but everything's unlocked though. Right, Niwa-san?"

"Mhm."

"Oh."

Tsugiyoshi did not know what he should say to that.

"Oh no, what if something happened?" Misaki clapped her hands over her mouth. "What if he's collapsed or something, and nobody's come to help him?"

"That…would be bad." Ryoka sounded unsure. "Should we go check?"

"No we should not." Tsugiyoshi could not be bothered, not when he had a cheese roll. Naturally, he was ignored.

"Yes, I think we should." Misaki said decisively, getting up. "Right, Niwa-san, Sumino-kun, let's go and make sure our teacher hasn't befallen any harm!"

"Seriously? Have neither of you ever watched a horror movie before?" he whined half-heartedly

As they trooped to the classroom- _why am I following them?-_ , Misaki turned and gave him an exasperated look.

"It's almost eight in the morning."

"But still…"

 _Oh, never mind._ He concentrated on savouring the cheese bap as Misaki led the way.

"Hello? Hoshima-sensei? Are you in here? Did something happen?"

Misaki kept calling this out, along with variants of the same question, as they walked down the corridor leading to their classroom. Ryoka had the idea to poke her head into the store cupboards while Misaki looked in the staffroom, but he didn't seem to be there, and so Misaki kept calling, until they reached the classroom.

"Do…do you hear talking in there?" Ryoka said hesitantly.

Tsugiyoshi couldn't tell if the girl was talking to him or to Misaki, so he ignored her. _Though, I think I do hear something…_

"Yes, I hear it too," Misaki answered, before raising. "Hello, Hoshima-sensei? Is that you?"

"Nurufufufu, are you a student of mine?"

 _What?_

All three of them stopped in their tracks, and exchanged looks. Tsugiyoshi swallowed his mouthful of bap, and he and Ryoka quickly scurried over to Misaki, who was standing by the door looking just as confused as they felt.

"Erm…We're all students of the class that studies here."

"Oh, splendid! Well-"

The unfamiliar, nasally, genderless voice was cut off by another new one, this one deeper and very male.

"How many of you are standing there, currently?" this new voice asked, brusquely.

"Erm…three of us. Do you want our names?" Misaki asked.

Apparently not having heard them, the brusque speaker had started musing aloud to who Tsugiyoshi presumed was the other person in the room, the one with the odd voice.

"I see some others coming up the hill, so I suspect the whole class will be here soon, so you might as well prepare yourself for the introductions, monster."

"Karasuma-san, you could at least give me a name." the nasally voice whined. "And aren't you going to invite the students in? If they're going to introduce themselves I want to see their faces."

"Yes, yes. Come in, students."

The three of them exchanged a look once again, and then Misaki did the honours of opening the door and leading the way in.

"Hello, do you know what happ-"

Misaki's question trailed of, and Tsugiyoshi could not blame her. For standing next to the blackboard was something that he had never seen before. It was a yellow creature thing with countless long tentacles with globby bits at the ends that looked vaguely like hands and fingers. It about ten foot tall, with a round face, beady eyes and a stupidly toothy grin that seemed fixed in place, and was dressed in the gowns that university graduates wore at graduation ceremonies, complete with a tiny version of one of those stupid hats. There was a human man standing next to him, looking as severe as his voice had sounded, but he faded into the background next to this…this thing, whatever the hell it happened to be.

 _Am I dreaming?_ Holding his bap in his mouth for a moment, Tsugiyoshi proceeded to pinch himself. _No, I'm not dreaming._ He took the bap back in his hand and just stared at the creature. He didn't need to look at Misaki and Ryoka to know that they were both stunned speechless, too.

"Nurufufufu." The creature laughed, and waved a tentacle. "Are you not going to introduce yourselves?"

"Oh!" Misaki coughed slightly. "Uhm, I'm Misaki Yuki, the Class Representative. This is Ryoka Niwa and Tsugiyoshi Sumino, two other members of this class."

"Oh, delighted, delighted. Well, I don't exactly have a name or anything, so feel free to come up with one, as long as it's not monster or creature or anything like that."

At this, the creature thing turned to look at the man, and though its expression didn't change, Tsugiyoshi could almost swear that it was glaring at him. _This just keeps getting weirder._

"But anyway," the creature continued, turning away from the man when his pointed glare-not-glare received no response. "I happen to be the creature who was responsible for the moon explosion, and until someone can kill me, I am fully intending on doing the same to the earth at the end of this school year. But-"

It held up a tentacle to halt Misaki, who had been about to ask a question. She snapped her mouth shut abruptly, and for the first time this morning, started to look slightly scared, though the questions were still clearly in her eyes. Tsugiyoshi couldn't blame her, he had plenty of questions himself.

"But," the creature replied. "Until that time comes, I'm going to be your new class teacher."

 _What? The? Fuck?_

 **…**

Sensing the creature shuffling past the window, Eiji quickly flicked his anti-Sensei knife from underneath his textbook and flung it out of the open window. He was rewarded by a squelching noise and a loud shriek of surprise, but seconds later he noticed a yellow tentacle snaking back through the window to give him the knife.

"Nurufufufu, impressive, Kashii-kun, you managed to get one of my tentacles. As expected from the one they call 'The Genius'. But it's not quite enough."

"I'm aware of that, creature." Eiji snapped out, mildly irritated.

 _At the word 'kill', Eiji was up, swiftly pulling out the concealed weapon that he was made to carry at all times, and he lunged straight at the creature's tie, behind which he presumed its' heart lay. He was expecting to hit flesh, to feel a spray of blood hit his face as a final breath blew out of the creature's mouth and it slumped in a lump. He had his shoulders squared to allow himself to pretend that such sensations no longer affected him, and he was even ready to turn away and sit back down, mission over._

 _That was what he was prepared for, but that was not what happened._

 _Instead, he felt the knife get tugged gently out of his hand, and a tentacle press down on his shoulder. Wildly, Eiji looked up at the creature._

" _Ah, I see you want to get to business straight away. I'm very pleased, Kashii-kun. However,"_

 _At this point, the creature's face suddenly changed from yellow to purple with a cross in the middle, and its' grin seemed to widen._

" _However," he repeated for emphasis. "I was not built to be killed quite so easily. And besides, your human weapons do not work on me. Trust me, these guys have tried it plenty of times."_

 _As the creature pointed at Karasuma and the other government officials who had gathered, he used his other tentacle to flick the knife back at Eiji. He caught it without thinking, and then just stared at the creature, not sure what to do._

 _After all, it was the first time he'd failed at a killing._

"It's Koro-sensei. Don't be like that grumpy fart Karasuma-san."

"Sorry, Koro-sensei." Eiji apologised, slightly chastened. However annoying this yellow abomination was, it was still his teacher, after all.

But still, _Koro-sensei_. The pun was mildly clever, he had to admit, but _still_. Why had they all decided on that name? As the creature said something about trying harder next time (as he always did, every time Eiji or any of them made a failed attempt on his life), Eiji returned to his studies and thought about this. It was Misaki who'd pointed out that the creature not having a name could be confusing, and it had invited them to pick one in response. And it had been sleepy Tsugiyoshi, the kid he veered between admiring for his perfect memory and despairing at because of his lack of drive, who had come up with the name in the end. Nicknames seemed to be a thing in this class, with Kanae casually shortening most of their names and the way Rei and Ryoka were sometimes called The Rabbit Whisperer and The Bird Whisperer respectively (though recently, the former had been shortened to just 'Usagi'). The Tsumita twins seemed disinclined to remember everyone's names and came up with new nicknames for everyone almost every day, too. It was kind of annoying, but also…also..

… _I'm glad of it._

He'd been so angry the day Koro-sensei appeared in his life, so, so angry when he'd stated what he was there for. And not because he hadn't been able to strike him down then and there as he'd tried to that day (though the humiliation of that stung), but because of the sheer audacity. How _dare_ the rest of his life try to intrude in on his school life, the one place he'd carved out as a refuge from it all? How _dare_ it? That's what he had thought, and even though he could dull his anger a little by reasoning that at least there was a righteous reason behind this killing, having his sanctuary defiled…

… _I don't really know how I stand it._

Sighing, Eiji looked up and back out of the window. _I'm not concentrating anymore,_ he acknowledged grimly. He needed to focus, but his mind was swirling with feelings, so it was not as easy. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair a little, closed his eyes and let the summer breeze tickle his face. And then he heard it.

"I'll go get him!"

Kanae's voice, instantly recognisable to him. He opened his eyes, and sat up. He wasn't sure whether to be irritated or pleased as he watched Kanae bound across the grass and to the window. He noted how bright and clear her eyes were as she propped her arms against the window frame and leaned in to yell at him.

"Yo, Kacchon! Come join us over there on the grass! We're chilling and annoying Koro-sensei!"

Even her voice was bright and clear. At the start of the school year, she'd been droopy and sluggish, made dull by alcohol and all the things that she was trying to use the alcohol to drown out. He could hardly give her the 'you're too young for this' argument considering his own background, but when they'd met and she'd taken a shine to him, he'd tried to use that to help her. And for all its faults and for all it had ruined the safety of education for him, Koro-sensei and the very fact of this class had also managed to help Kanae. She wasn't cured, or free, not by any means. But the happy girl grinning at him now was the person she was meant to be, he was sure of it.

"Oi, what're you staring at? Did Take and Yuki draw on my face or something?" Kanae said, pouting and blushing slightly.

"…no?" Eiji blinked. "Sorry. I was studying, but I think now's a good time for a break. I'll be there in a moment."

"YESS!" Kanae punched the air, grinning, before turning around and yelling. "GUYS, HE'S COMING!"

"Oh, that's excellent!" he heard Misaki call back.

"Yay!" he heard Rei say.

Shaking his head and allowing a small smile, Eiji got up and quickly put his things in his desk, before taking out his lunch and exiting the classroom. He followed the laughter to where Kanae and his other classmates were sitting, and sat down to join them, taken aback by how enthusiastically they welcomed his presence (even though it was not the first time he'd seen them be like this).

And as he got caught up in their carefree chaos, he realised that this was the reason he could stand it. That _this_ was the reason he was glad to be here, despite everything.

 **…**

Having knocked the man out cold, Kanae quickly reached for her roll of twine so she could tie him up and leave him before fleeing the building, when suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. Using her training, she instinctively kicked out behind her, but it seemed like whoever it was had anticipated that, because her kick was met with another, and the next thing she knew she was knocked off balance, her arms pinned behind her with an iron grip.

"You…fucking bastard," she swore.

Desperately, she ran through her repertoire of martial arts strategies and tried to work out which one to use. _Damn it, damn it, damn it._ Kanae wriggled and writhed and hit out as much as she could, even hoping to shatter his jaw using the force of her head and failing. As the person started to try and drag her, she called out, hoping for help.

"GUYS! GUYS, I NEED A LITTLE HELP HERE!" she screamed, still writhing, still trying. "KACCHON? MISA? ANYONE?"

 _No, it's useless. They're probably all fending off enemies themselves, or they've managed to escape and get to the meeting point. Dammit, someone help._

Suddenly, there was a dull thump somewhere above her, and the sound of something falling to the ground and shattering. Just like that, the grip on her arms loosened, and she was able to pull them forward and turn around, but not before the heavy man swayed and toppled on top of her, pushing her to the ground, right on top of a tentacle. Koro-sensei, of course, did not react to this.

 _Because he can't. Oh fuck, this makes me want a drink so bad. Koro-sensei…_

But Kanae was not that girl anymore, she was so much better than that. So she focused what was more important-getting this person off of her so she could get out of there and find the others. Heaving, she edged him off, and then a pale pair of arms joined her, and between them they managed to push him away, enough that Kanae was able to spring up-somehow, miraculously, he had not broken her legs-and she stared at her rescuer.

"Hey, thanks, Ryo." She said.

"Mhm. Did I kill him?" Ryoka replied.

The two of them looked down at the man, unmoving and with a gash on his head. Then, Kanae looked over at Koro-sensei, cut to pieces in the same room. _Who are we talking about, here?_

"Yeah." Kanae breathed out eventually, still not sure who she was referring to. "Anyway, we should get out of here."

"At the meetup point, right?" Ryoka asked, tucking a stray lock of green hair behind her ear.

"Yeah. Let's go."

For whatever reason, Kanae found herself holding Ryoka's hand all the way there, and though it was a little weird, it was also kind of comforting, especially since she wasn't actually sure where everyone else was. As quickly as possible, they stumbled and navigated their way through the wood, Ryoka occasionally calling to the owls for assistance when the darkness proved too difficult for them, but eventually they found the two low trees which lead to the clearing that their meetup point was there.

"Aira-san, Niwa-san!" Misaki hopped up immediately to greet them. "You're okay!"

"Yeah, yeah. "

"Oh, Niwa-san, you're injured! Come here, come here."

Kanae blinked at Ryoka, who seemed equally confused as Misaki wrapped an arm around her and steered her to where a number of bags and a first aid kit was. _How the fuck did I not notice,_ she wondered as she catalogued the number of bruises and cuts on Ryoka's body.

 _Well, at least we're safe now._

Kanae went and sat herself down, and looked around at who else was there. Misaki, obviously. Then Tsugiyoshi was curled up by a rock, fast asleep, using his old P.E fleece as a pillow. Misaki had contributed hers as a blanket, as had Sumihiko, who was sipping carefully from a cup nearby. Toshiko was also asleep, though Kanae couldn't figure out whose jackets she was using as a pillow-and she couldn't work out why she was sleeping until she noticed that the taller girl's middle was completely bandaged, her top cut away to showcase this fact.

Rei was a little further away from the munching on a carrot, while Michio was standing off to the side, staring into the distance. There was silence as they all did their own thing, and Kanae wondered what to do. _The plan is for one of us to make contact with Karasuma-sensei once we've all gathered back here safely, but when are they…Kacchon…_

Just like that, Kanae turned right back around to the two trees. She was sure that Eiji would not have met with any harm, not least because he was literally a genius at everything, but all the same, she knew she wouldn't be able to feel calm if she wasn't at least doing something.

"Watching out for the others?"

"Holy crap! Yags, you've gotta stop doing that materialise-out-of-nowhere thing."

Sumihiko put a finger to his lips, and Kanae cringed, remembering the two who were sleeping. Sumihiko smiled at her, and plopped down next to her.

"It's a good idea. May I join you, Aira-san?"

Kanae gave a flippant gesture, and the two of them continued to watch the clearing in a silence only interrupted by Sumihiko coughing occasionally.

"Hey, Yags, this didn't cause a flare-up, did it?" Kanae asked as concern dawned on her.

"No, no, this is nothing." Sumihiko reassured her in the middle of the next coughing bout. "Trust me, dearie, I've had worse."

"Well, if you say so-"

Kanae paused as the sound of footsteps and heavy breaths approached them, but in the next moment arms pushed aside the branches and Eiji and Nagayuki appeared, half-carrying Yoshimi between them. All of them were blood-soaked. Instantly, Kanae jumped up.

"Kacchon!"

"It's not mine." He told her, shortly. "Yuki-san, could you help us please?"

"But of course. Niwa-san, get something to eat." Misaki came over to them, and helped Eiji and Nagayuki lie Yoshimi down.

"I….couldn't…..sorry…." Yoshimi murmured as Misaki got to work in tending him.

"Shh, don't talk. You'll be fine." Misaki soothed in her motherly way.

"Listen to Yuki-san. You did what you could under the circumstances." Eiji stated.

With that, he walked over to Michio and started to talk to him. _Idiot, couldn't you say something like 'I'm alright, you don't have to worry?' Idiot, idiot, idiot._ Harrumphing, Kanae made a point of not looking at him.

"So, young man, where's your brother?" Sumihiko asked Nagayuki, who was getting something to eat.

"Oh, he'll be here soon." Nagayuki said, looking more than slightly devious. "Just tying up loose ends…"

Almost as if he had summoned him, Takeyasu came bursting through, grinning broadly.

"It's over!" he crowed jubilantly. "It's over."

"Well, yes, we killed him, didn't we?" Michio turned around, baffled. "Of course it's over."

"No, it's really over."

That's when Kanae realised that Takeyasu was waving a box of matched around.

"You burnt the place down?!" she shrieked.

"You did _what_?!" Misaki gasped.

"Well, that's one way of making extra-sure." Eiji shrugged. "Though it strikes me as reckless."

"What's going on?" Tsugiyoshi had sat up at some point, and was now rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Why's everyone screaming about fire?"

"How do you burn things with a box?" Rei asked at the same time.

That paused the conversation completely, as Rei's random interjections tended to do. And as usual, it was the twins who recovered, going over to grab him in a headlock and taking him over to a side to explain things. Ryoka went over to Tsugiyoshi, and the two started to talk to talk in quiet tones, and just like that, the moment was over.

 _Well then. What am I supposed to feel right now?_ Kanae had never had to really think about that sort of thing, not for a good few years since she'd discovered her parents' drink stash and discovered how perfect it was at dulling everything. She knew it was better for her to not be drinking, to be aware of everything, but at times like this, it was so hard. So hard. _How on earth am I going to survive when we go back to our old lives? How?_

"Right, I presume I'll make the call, then?" Eiji asked.

Jolted out of her self-pity for a moment, Kanae watched Eiji talk with Misaki.

"Oh, no, I-"

"Yuki-san, you're busy."

"Ah…" Misaki sighed. "Yes, you're right. In that case, we're counting on you, Kashii-kun."

Eiji simply nodded at that, and he went over to a discreet corner to do just that. At a loss as to what to do once again, and not wanting to think too much and fall down the same old spirals, Kanae wandered over to Misaki, and crouched down on the other side of Yoshimi. At first, more absorbed in what seemed to be pretty serious injuries, Misaki didn't appear to notice her. But then, she spoke.

"It's really over, huh?"

"It sure seems like it." Kanae replied dumbly.

"Well…." Misaki let out a breath, and her hands stilled. "In that case, I'm going to make a promise."

"A…promise?"

"Yeah."

At this, Misaki looked up, her eyes glittering and lips trembling. Startled, Kanae reached out, thinking to pat Misaki's shoulder or something comforting, when unexpectedly, Misaki smiled at her.

"I'm never going to kill again."

"I..what?" _I'm so confused._

"Never again. I'm not killing again." A tear escaped. "This is the last time. I swear it."

"Oh, crap, Misa!"

Awkwardly, Kanae reached over and hugged Misaki as best as she could. Misaki let out a strangled breath, and put a hesitant hand on Kanae's back in return.

"I'm never going to kill again." Misaki repeated, through what was now a steady stream of tears. "Never."

"Mhm." Kanae murmured.

It was inadequate, oh so inadequate. But it was all that she had, now that everything was over and her old life was beckoning.

 _Because I can't make that promise myself._

 **…**

As Rei walked out of the main school building with his friends, they were discussing celebrating their graduation.

"We should totally hit the town!" Takeyasu proclaimed.

 _How do you hit a town? Wouldn't that hurt your hands?_

"It would certainly be nice to celebrate, all as a group." Misaki agreed. "What should we do?"

"As long as it's halfway decent, I don't really care." Toshiko said, sticking her nose up in the way Rei now knew to describe as 'snooty'.

"I do know a couple of restaurants that would fit the bill…." Eiji suggested thoughtfully. "Let me think…"

"This would be the last thing we do together as a class, so I guess I'm okay with it." Tsugiyoshi said.

"This is the last day we'll all be together?" Rei asked, blinking. _No, it can't be._

"This is our graduation, Usagi, that means we're finished with this place!" Takeyasu said. "That's why we're celebrating."

"But…if this is our last day…." Usagi stammered out.

"I know, Usagi-kun, it is kind of sad." Misaki said kindly, seeming to read his mind. "But, you know, even though we'll be apart, we'll keep in touch and stuff, so it's okay. After all, we're friends."

Rei stared at her, feeling his eyes go wide.

"We…we're friends?" he asked.

"Duh!" Kanae sneered at him. "Course we're friends! We went through hell together, right?"

Rei was pretty sure they hadn't gone through hell, as hell was for dead people and none of them were dead. On the other hand, he'd been around them all long enough to know that this probably meant something else, so he just nodded.

"Yes, if I really have to say it, we are definitely friends. However," Toshiko sniffed. "That doesn't mean I like you."

"But I thought friends meant you liked each other." Rei pointed out.

"Ignore her, she's an idiot." Nagayuki pronounced instantly.

This made Toshiko glare viciously at Nagayuki, so Rei decided the best thing to do was not say anything, and instead he turned back to the others.

"Yeah, we're all friends alright, Usagi." Michio said. "So, where're we going? Only, I can't stay too long, I have to get Mayuri from day-care."

"And I have a doctor's appointment, so I regretfully would not be able to make it to any celebrations."

"Oh, that's a shame." Misaki said, looking sad. "Well….we should take a photograph, right? Of all of us, just for a memory."

"That…that seems like a good idea to me." Yoshimi said quietly.

"Sure, whatever." Michio agreed flippantly.

Misaki smiled at that, and took out her phone, tapping at it a few times.

"Ah, the only thing is, who's going to take the photograph….."

"Perhaps someone with long arms." Tsugiyoshi suggested.

"Do I have long arms?" Rei asked, wanting to be helpful. Nobody answered him, and this made him a little sad.

 _But, it's okay, right? Because we're friends. And we're going to celebrate._

"Karasuma-sensei's over there, let's ask him!"

Kanae ran off to get Karasuma before anyone could answer, and Rei watched curiously as Kanae said something in a very animated way, and eventually got him to come over. Misaki then approached Karasuma and showed him how to use the phone, before returning to the group. For some reason, Rei felt a warm feeling in his stomach as he watched them. It took him a moment to identify it as 'happiness'.

 _Yeah, it's okay._

"Right, everyone, let's line up!" Misaki ordered.

There was more fussing and shouting as everyone tried to arrange themselves in front of the metal railings. Usagi found himself squashed between the twins and in front of Toshiko and Yoshimi.

"What do I do?" he asked Nagayuki.

"Look at the camera." Nagayuki responded, pointing at Misaki's phone.

"Alright, ready?" Karasuma called.

"YES!" everyone chorused, Rei included (though he only did it because the others were).

"Alright then. Smile!"

And Rei smiled.

 **…**

Takeyasu counted out the bills in his wallet. _Eh, it's a decent amount, but I feel reckless today,_ he decided after a moment. Putting the wallet down on his bed, he listened out for a moment to see if Nagayuki was in his room. When he heard only silence, he zipped out of his own room, stepped into Nagayuki's and opened his wardrobe. Pulling his wallet out of the pocket of the trousers hanging in the cupboard, he quickly discovered there were only a few coins in there. _Nothing worth snaffling, in any case._

Sighing, Takeyasu left his brother's room. After going back to pick up his own wallet, he went over to the safe room, which also happened to be where Nagayuki was, typing busily at the computer, different things showing up on the various monitors.

"What do you want, little bro?" Nagayuki asked without looking up.

"I'm going to the casino, I want a high stakes game." He said. No other explanation was necessary between them.

"Take what you want. I haven't found a cause interesting enough for the latest haul, anyway."

"Cool!"

Takeyasu walked over to the nearest safe, keyed in the code, pressed his finger to the fingerprint reader, then stepped back to allow the two doors to open. Then, he reached in, ready to grab a bundle of notes, when his fingertips brushed smooth metal. Blinking, he leaned in and stared at the smaller safe that was nestled within this one, and then rested his hand on top of it, thinking. Remembering.

 _Suddenly, the door opened, and Karasuma came in and held the door open. They all watched curiously as a couple of his subordinates came in behind him, wheeling in a trolley that held a number of locked briefcases. Once they were in, Karasuma quietly closed the door, and then he and the two subordinates started to hand out the briefcases, one to each of them._

 _As Takeyasu received his from Karasuma, he exchanged a look with Nagayuki, who grinned jubilantly._ It couldn't be…

" _Excuse me, what is this?" Ryoka asked politely, her voice trembling just slightly._

" _This is your reward money. It has been divided evenly between the twelve of you. You may check if you so wish-the code on the padlocks is 0000 by default, though I recommend you all change that."_

" _It would be unwise not to." Eiji said in that bland, know-it-all way he had._

" _Indeed it would, Kashii-kun. We'll leave you be for now-we still have to make arrangements for your accommodation and eventual return to your homes, so we'll leave you be for now. Yuki-san, you can come down to the office if anyone needs us."_

" _Got it!" Misaki smiled, saluting him and the subordinates. "Thank you!"_

 _Takeyasu had already opened his briefcase by the time the door shut behind Karasuma, and he laughed at the stacks of crisp, green notes. There had never been a more beautiful sight in all his life._ But…what's this? _Frowning, he picked up the small velveteen pouch in the corner of the bag, and turned to frown at Nagayuki, who'd also picked up the bag, examining the contents with some puzzlement._

" _It's money." Nagayuki told him abruptly._

 _Sure enough, it was. Notes in smaller denominations, and a variety of coins._

" _Hey, what's with the pouch?" Kanae asked. "I thought reward money was just notes like the rest of it is."_

" _If you don't want it, I'll have it." Tsugiyoshi commented sardonically._

" _Oi, shut up!" Kanae said, affronted._

" _It's been divided_ exactly _equal." Eiji explained. "Thirty billion yen, between the twelve of us. You can't get the precise amount in just 100yen notes now, can you?"_

" _Ah, that's certainly true." Misaki agreed philosophically._

" _Ehh, guess so." Kanae shrugged._

 _Takeyasu frowned at the pouch, then quickly did the calculations in his head._

" _Yeah, Kashii's right." Nagayuki pronounced before he could say anything._

Eh, money's money. At least we weren't swindled, _Takeyasu thought, shrugging it off. He closed the pouch, put it back in the briefcase, and locked it, quickly setting a new code and then putting the briefcase down and leaning back in the chair to see what everyone else was doing._

"… _Usagi, what the hell are you doing?"_

Both his money and Nagayuki's money from back then now rested in the safe, the smaller denominations in their pouches, everything in the briefcases. Untouched. Even before they'd built up their name as the infamous Tatsumi Brothers, even before they'd got to this point to be going through money like water, they'd never touched it. Instead, they'd stashed it away, along with a copy of the photograph they'd taken on graduation day, with the unspoken agreement that it would always be there, no matter how far they drifted from the others.

 _And we drifted pretty damn far, didn't we?_

"Sentimental fool." He muttered to himself.

"What was that?" Nagayuki asked.

"Nothing, nothing."

Abruptly, Takeyasu moved away from the small safe, picked up a bundle of notes from the main safe, then locked everything up again. Sentimental fool he might have been, but he'd be even more of one if he stood here reminiscing all evening. _It was a long time ago, anyway._

"Got it!" he said, waving the money even though Nagayuki wasn't looking, and then shoving it in his wallet before putting said wallet in his purse and starting to leave.

"Cool, don't stay out too late, don't kill anyone without me, don't get arrested, blah, blah."

The reply came just as he was near the front door. Takeyasu rolled his eyes, but smiled as he turned to shout his reply:

"Sure, Aniki."

 **…**

Nagayuki wasn't particularly looking for anyone or anything as he flew home with Takeyasu, but all the same, the flash of what looked like someone running for their life made him pause.

"Huh, what is it, Aniki?"

Nagayuki ignored his brother at first, swooping down just a little bit, and frowning at the barefooted, terrified woman running towards an alleyway and trying to shake off her pursuers. Takeyasu grunted, and his face almost squashed Nagayuki's as he tried to look. Nagayuki decided to let it go, there were bigger things to deal with.

"Oh shit, that's Niwa, isn't it?" Takeyasu realised suddenly.

"Yes, it is." Nagayuki said, neutral though inside he was seething. "Those bastards are still after her."

 _You wannabe bastards. You don't get to mess with one of us and expect not to pay._

"Damn." Takeyasu summed up the situation in that single word.

Nagayuki moved them closer, so he could work out where Ryoka's pursuers were. Though relatively quiet at this time of night, the area was public, a combination of shops, restaurants and high rise flats, which probably explained why she wasn't using her birds to try and fend them off. _Still,_ he thought _, girl's never been one to want to bring too much attention to herself. Luckily, we don't have such issues._

"So, little bro, how about we go after them? It can be our good deed for the week."

"Do you even need to ask? Do I get to burn him?"

"Do you even need to ask? Let's do this."

Nagayuki flew closer, then shot right down as fast as he was able to go, aiming to block the men's path as they entered the alleyway. As the men noticed something hurtling for them, Takeyasu unhooked his arm from around Nagayuki's shoulder, dropped down, and aimed his fire tank at them, and fired. Nagayuki shot at them for good measure, too. It was over before the men had a chance to react. Nagayuki used his dry ice machine to put out the fire, and then he and Takeyasu pulled them closer to the bin bags, and heaped some of the rubbish over them. Then, Nagayuki turned.

"Oi, Bird Whisperer, you there?"

Ryoka peered out from behind a bin, and her eyes widened at the sight of them. Slowly, she stepped out. Her hair was matted and dirty, no longer in the style he remembered her adopting during their 3E time. Though she had always been a skinny little thing, she looked nearly skeletal now. Her feet were bare, as he noted before, and she looked to be wearing little more than old underwear.

"Fuck me, Yuki would weep if she could see the sight of you!" Takeyasu exclaimed. "Plus, you stink."

"It's not as if I can help it." Ryoka said, sounding slightly peeved, even as she wrapped her arms around herself helplessly.

"Yes, well, it's true." Nagayuki said bluntly.

There was no reason to sugar-coat it, after all. He was not some kind fairy godmother, his heart did not hurt at the sight of vulnerability or innocence or any of the things that so-called good people tended to be motivated by. Ryoka was definitely all those things in this moment, but that was not why they had helped her. They had helped her because she had been one of them, and because she was in trouble, and even if she had secretly been Wonder Woman, she would have still been one of them, and they would have done the exact same thing. And she was still in trouble now. There was no dilemma.

"So," he asked. "Where's all your things? Where are you going to go now?"

"I had to leave most of everything behind, though I have money."

To Nagayuki's surprise, Ryoka lifted up her vest, to reveal a few banknotes tucked into the waistband of her underpants, probably enough for some snacks and a night at a cheap motel. He also noticed what looked like a small photograph tucked in there too, but he decided not to ask.

"And, what about where to go?"

"A motel, maybe? Or a doorway. Possibly even a tree, the birds would help me build a nest or something." Ryoka shrugged. "Just the usual."

Nagayuki blinked, imagining a human size nest in a tree. _That's…not a strategy I'd take. Then again, Niwa's always been as weird as Usagi, so I guess it makes sense she'd think like that. Still, it simply won't do._

"You'll come with us, then." He decided.

"Eh?" Takeyasu squawked. Nagayuki gave him a look, and they held it for a moment, before Takeyasu sighed in resigned understanding.

"Yeah, sure, you'll come with us."

"No, it's okay, you don't need…"

"Trust me, those people won't be able to trace you to us, and we'll be flying, so they won't spot us on the way there. Though I dunno how Aniki's going to carry both of-."

"I'll figure it out," Nagayuki interrupted swiftly. "Anyway, they're just small time criminals trying to be big-shots, they'll be screaming for their mamas if they encountered actual big shots. So you'd be safe with us."

"Like you, you mean?"

Ryoka delivered that question neutrally, but the small smile on her face and the slightly raised eyebrow told another story. It was good to see her not looking so scared, so Nagayuki grinned.

"Exactly like us-we're the infamous Tatsumi brothers, don't you know? Anyway, it can only be for three or four days at the most-we've got lives, you know. Plus, he has reptiles."

"Reptiles are the least of my worries." Ryoka shook her head. "And three days is fine. Settling isn't safe, anyway."

 _If you settled with us, it would be._ But it was as he'd said-they had a life. And besides, they weren't good people. Only good people would invite homeless girls to stay with them indefinitely. They were just helping out a former comrade in a pinch and letting herself clean up a little before moving on with her life. This was their good deed of the week. That was all. _If she wants charity, she can go to Yuki, anyway._

"Good. Well then, let's go. Takeyasu, hold onto me like you usually do."

"Got it."

Takeyasu put his arms around Nagayuki's neck, and then Nagayuki scooped up Ryoka in an embarrassing bridal-style carry before returning to the heavens.


	2. Part 2

**Soooo I was trying to have the POVs in zodiac order, but I got the twins ones the wrong way around, and then I put Hitsugi's and Uuma's the wrong way around too, but since the story flowed better in that order I decided 'oh screw it' and left it as it is. Also, the final lines of the fic are slightly different to the fic summary lines for similar reasons (the flow).**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this second part, and please do leave a review!**

* * *

"And they all lived happily ever after….."

Sumihiko closed the book, and looked down at his son, sighing when he saw those wide dark eyes blinking innocently back up at him.

"Dear oh dear, you still want another story, don't you?"

His son gurgled and smiled beguilingly. Sumihiko sighed again. _Remember this,_ he told himself. _Remember it and savour it._

"Well, I can't say no to that, can I? Now, what book…?"

Sumihiko looked over at the bookshelf that held all of his son's picture books-most that he'd brought himself while out on missions-and contemplated them, before changing his mind. _I might not get another chance to tell this story if I don't._

"Actually Kaito, I'll tell you a different story, a true one. How about that, hmm?"

Kaito smiled innocently at him, and Sumihiko felt his heart contract, and not because of his disease.

"Well…once upon a time, there was a boy. He was a little shorter and smaller than other boys, but that wouldn't usually be a problem. His mind was clear, and he had all the usual dreams boys had, of growing up and doing great and magnificent things. But his body was another story. He had a disease that made him weak and stole his life-days away from him, and though the doctors did not know what this disease was, or why the boy had it, they knew for sure that he would not grow up like other boys. That he would not live long enough to do great and magnificent things.

The boy's parents tried to hide it from him, so that he could at least be happy, but it was hard for them to hide the real reasons for all the hospital visits and doctor's appointments he had to go for. Besides, the boy was clever, he would have worked it out eventually. But perhaps if he hadn't been clever, he would have been happier, because this fact filled him with sorrow, and made him wonder-what was the point of life? He went through each day with a dull and heavy heart, caring for nothing, waiting only for the day his disease would kill him, just as the doctors said it would. Yet years went by, and though his body betrayed him in new and horrible ways-"

As if to illustrate, at that point, Sumihiko had to stop for breath, and he leaned forward, waiting for his strength to return. Once it did, he smiled apologetically at Kaito, and continued.

"And even though he remained sick, he did not die. And because of that, the days felt like years, and he became more tired of living. He was all too ready for death to come-and then, the evil teacher of his horrible school decided that this boy was useless, and consigned him to a special class for other useless children like him. Those children were…."

Sumihiko paused once again, not sure how to describe his former classmates. Delicate, traumatised Ryoka. The odd, otherworldly, earnest Rei. Sleepy but wise Tsugiyoshi, haughty but good-hearted Toshiko, the incorrigible delinquent twins Nagayuki and Takeyasu. Misaki, their warm and motherly Class Representative, and Eiji, that mysterious genius. The shy craftsman Yoshimi, the brash Michio, and the bright-eyed Kanae. They were all that, but more than that too.

"Those children were indeed unusual," he started again. "But they were not actually useless. And the kingdom thought so too, because it was these children who were given the mission to rid the kingdom of an evil monster who wanted to eat them all. He was a very fearsome monster, and difficult to defeat, but the boy and the other children banded together and after many adventures and trials, they defeated the monster and saved the kingdom. And you know what, in the process, the boy and the children became friends. And that changed something in the boy's heart. Suddenly, the days did not feel like years, and suddenly, his heart was light and cheerful. He had found a reason to live out what life-days he had, now he had fought and laughed and cried with these children. And though life pushed the children apart after that, the reason remained, and the boy defied his illness, pushed against it so that he could live. And gradually, he started to grow up.

"The boy started the process of becoming a man-he fell in love with a pretty girl, and later married her, and they had a beautiful baby boy together. The man got a job selling things to important people. Things that the doctors said wouldn't happen, started to happen. But the sickness that he'd had in the first place? It never went away, and though it seemed like he could push it away with his newfound resolve, in the end, he could not. The doctors told the boy-now a man, of course-that perhaps he'd live a few more years than he was supposed to, but it would kill him in the end. He might possibly be able to watch his baby grow into a little boy, but he would not be able to see that boy through to manhood. He would not be able to see his boy become a father himself.

The news was enough to send the man into despair, but he tried to be strong. He had a pretty wife and a baby to think about. He searched high and low for an answer or a cure, or both, but found none. And then one day, he found out about a special mission-a battle that happened in the kingdom every few years, between the best warriors in the world. This battle was special, because the winner would be granted a wish of their own. Absolutely any wish, no matter how big or small or seemingly impossible. And when the man heard about this, he knew that he had to go for this fight. To win and get his wish was the only chance he had. So he begged the makers of the fight to select him as one of the warriors for the next fight, which would take place in the next five years.

And luckily for him, they did. So he prepared himself, the best that he could, using all he'd learnt from both his jobs and the adventures he'd had so long ago. And when the day came, he kissed his pretty wife, hugged his little boy, and went off to the battle, ready to gain his wish."

Sumihiko glanced at Kaito, and noticed he was fast asleep. _When the time comes, I hope you'll understand._

"Well, that's where it ends, unfortunately. I won't be able to tell you what becomes of the man for a few years yet. But I'll leave you to sleep now, son. "

Quietly, quickly, before he could let his emotions overtake him, Sumihiko got up, and left the room.

 **…**

Yoshimi glanced at the clock on the wall opposite him, and decided it was finally time for a break. Grunting, he put the dumbbells down, got up, and crossed the empty gym to where his bag was. Sitting carefully on the bench-he didn't want to break it, after all-he unzipped his bag and pulled out his bottle, and took a long swig of his sports drink. Then, he looked down at his bag again.

 _Should I? Shouldn't I?_ It was always torture, reading the texts and seeing what was going on in their lives. On the other hand, it was a kind of torture to not have that idea, and he'd been avoiding their messages for days. _Oh, who am I kidding? I know what I choose in the end, every time._ Yoshimi bent down and dug around until his hands closed around the phone, and he pulled it out, unlocking the screen and staring down at the messages.

It seemed to be Misaki, Kanae, Tsugiyoshi and the twins who were dominating the chat the most. Michio had said things here and there, as had Sumihiko and Toshiko. Eiji's contributions were rarer, but at least they were there. Only Rei and Ryoka never replied, and between cults and family demons, they at least had an excuse. He didn't even have that, but yet he too never replied.

He scrolled through, chuckling quietly at memes, jokes and random work anecdotes; admiring the photos of Misaki's bakes, Eiji's restaurant photographs and Michio's sister's school play; observing all the random little small talk the conversation was made up of. He could imagine their voices in their head, as if this were a conversation they were all having in real time, with each other.

 _As if this were back then._

As Yoshimi thought back to those better times, a couple of new messages popped up on the chat. Scrolling back down, he read them. It was Misaki, asking once again to organise a reunion, with a list of suggested dates. Kanae had been the first to reply, mostly with a string of emojis that indicated excitement, but then with a selected date that worked for her. Yoshimi stared at it.

 _How many years has it been since I last saw any of them in person? And how long ago since that year we were all together._ The answer to both of those questions was 'too long', and some of that was his fault, he knew. _But, I can't show myself to them like this, incomplete and inadequate as I am._ Yoshimi kept watching as a few other messages turned up.

 _Michio Tsukui: If I can get someone to cover me at the day-care, then sure, I'm up for that  
Tsugiyoshi Sumino: Sure, not got anything better to do.  
Kanae Aira: YESSSSS =D When was the last time you came anyway?!  
Tsugiyoshi Sumino: I always come.  
Kanae Aira: I know that you cheesebrain, I was talking to Tsucchi!  
Tsugiyoshi Sumino: Oh.  
Nagayuki Tsumita: Unfortunately, we're out of the country on all those days. Whatcha gonna do this reunion though? We'll send you some fancy wine or whatever.  
Misaki Yuki: Oh, that's a shame, Nagayuki-kun. Tsukui-kun, no pressure if you can't, hopefully you'll be able to make it to the next thing. The others, hooray! I'm so glad. Hopefully the others'll be free, but we'll have to wait until they see this :)  
Kanae Aira: HURRY UP GUYSSSS! We gotta get this party rolling!_

Yoshimi chuckled at Kanae's messages, despite himself. She really hadn't changed that much since their middle school days. Or rather, she hadn't changed much once she'd made improvements over the course of that year. Misaki hadn't changed that much either, and neither had Tsugiyoshi-both were still motherly and sleepy, respectively. At least, as far as he could tell from these messages. If he were to see the, he would know for sure, how much they'd changed, how much they had not.

"I can't, though." He murmured to himself, though nobody else was there to hear him. "I'm still weak."

That day, the day they'd finally killed Koro-sensei, it was quite literally carved into him. In the end, they'd all survived it, but the fact he'd been defeated so easily and had not been able to protect them from any harm at all. Even if he had wanted to forgive himself for that, the scar on his stomach would never let him rest. And that was why he had drawn back, to make himself strong enough so that he'd never scar again. So that he would be able to protect them all the next time they saw each other.

Suddenly, another message popped up.

 _Toshiko Ino: Maybe I'll turn up too. Not like I've got anything better to do that day anyway._

Yoshimi's heart stopped for a moment. _Toshiko-san…._ He'd been smitten with her even before they'd ended up in 3E together, but until that moment she hadn't even known he existed, he was sure of that. Still, he was sure that from 3E onwards they'd understood each other, perhaps even become something akin to friends, something a little more than that, especially after that one night just before they'd graduated high school. He was under no illusion that she'd been in love with him-the different boyfriends she'd flaunted on this chat over the years were testament to that-but even so. _I want to be known,_ she had said that night as the explanation for turning up on his doorstep. That had to mean something.

Staring at the message, Yoshimi realised that Toshiko had changed her profile picture. It was another photograph of herself, that much he could tell (and even if he hadn't been able to tell, it would have been obvious considering that she was the only one who ever used her own photographs as profile pictures), so curious, he tapped on it. This one was a side profile picture, though she was still looking directly at the camera, a familiar slightly-taunting smile tugging at her lips. Her hair was all gathered up in a fancy up-do. But the main thing Yoshimi zoned in on were the earrings, white and hand-made, carved to look like boars' tusks. The earrings he had made and sent to her for her last birthday.

 _She wears them. She wears them…._

And just as he was processing that, a message from a separate chat came in. Tapping out of Toshiko's profile picture, he went to it and discovered it was a message from Eiji.

 _Hello, Soma-kun. I hope this reaches you well. Have you seen Yuki-san's message about another reunion?_ It read. _Will you be coming?_

Sadly, Yoshimi hung his head. _No, I can't._ Yet, perhaps he could. After all, it was clear he was still loved, wasn't it? Between Toshiko's earrings and Eiji's direct message, it would be silly for him to conclude anything else. If they had ever been disappointed in him, they'd forgiven him a long, long time ago.

 _But I swore it. That the next time I saw them, I would be strong enough to protect them. If I caved now, I would be breaking that promise. And I wouldn't be worthy of seeing them. There's no real contest. I know what the answer will be, every time._

So resolutely, Yoshimi locked his phone, put it back in his bag, zipped it up and stashed it under the bench, before returning to his workout with extra determination. But despite that, his heart still felt heavy.

 **…**

Misaki closed the oven door, adjusted the temperature, then looked up at the clock. _Hmm, what should I do now? Dinner, or…no, there's still time. Maybe some TV, and then I'll get started on dinner so it'll be done by the time Rin gets back._ Pleased with that decision, Misaki left the kitchen area and went over to the living room area, flopping on the settee, picking up the remote and turning the television on.

She didn't really have any programme in mind-she'd been away for so long, she didn't really have any idea of what TV series were currently running. If she saw something resembling a cooking programme, she'd probably stick to that channel, but in the meantime she was content with some random, aimless channel-surfing. _I wouldn't change my job for the world, but sometimes it's nice to have this lazy sort of downtime-oh? What's that?_

Recognising the name of a nation she'd helped, Misaki paused at the channel. BREAKING NEWS, a banner across the top of the screen proclaimed. The image shown underneath…

…it was one of carnage.

 _What? How? No, it wasn't meant to be like this. My plan was supposed to stop their conflict, not start a new one…._

Misaki couldn't look, but she couldn't look away. She wanted to understand how this could have happened, but she wasn't taking any of it in. All she could see was that yet another time, she had tried to save something and had ended up destroying. And this time, it was hitting harder. Even trying to remind herself of all the nations and people she had saved-as Rin had advised her from time to time-was not working.

 _I broke the promise._

With a sob, Misaki drew her knees to her chest and curled up. After a moment, she momentarily unfurled to turn the TV off, then returned to curling up on the sofa. That promise she had made all those years ago, it was the entire reason she'd taken the path that would lead her to become a peace negotiator. One killing was enough, but it was too much in the first place. She hadn't really thought of just how strongly she'd felt about the entire thing, not until she'd actually killed Koro-sensei, and possibly those other enemies as well.

 _How? How can I fix this?I've killed, when I said I never would. Even if I could never have predicted that it would turn out like this…_

Gradually, naturally, Misaki's tears dried up, but the hollow, defeated feeling remained. And then, she heard a letter come through the door.

 _Oh,_ she wondered despite herself, _this is an unusual time for a letter to arrive, isn't it? I should go and see what it is._ She straightened out, and got up, plodding wearily over to the front door and looking down. There was a single envelope, and to her surprise it was deep red, and looked to be made from thick card. Bending down, she picked it up and realised it was addressed to her. There was a blurry golden wax seal in the corner of the envelope, and she squinted at it. _Juu…ni…Taisen? What's that? No, wait, I know what that is. But could it be?_

From what she knew of this so-called 'Juuni Taisen', she was sure this had to be a mistake, because this was not the type of thing that would interest her, no matter how great the reward of a single wish was. But something compelled her to open it, and seeing her name at the top of the letter inside it didn't make that seem very likely. Sitting down cross-legged in the doorway, she quietly read the letter, absorbing the contents and all the revelations it came with, memorising the venue and the start date (which was a few years away), and then slowly, put it down.

There was a part of her that still thought it had to be a mistake, because she was not a warrior in the sense that this war sought. But, it was a war, one whose zone she'd never visited. _Perhaps I can make a new promise,_ she thought. _A promise to end this war, as atonement for all the killing I've done._ The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced that this was the best idea.

"Now," she said to herself as she did so. "I just need to think of my strategy."

 **…**

Ryoka could have stayed in the hot spring forever, but she knew she couldn't. So it was with a heavy heart that she made sure her towel was wrapped around her as she left it and went back to the changing room. Shrugging on a towel gown, she reached up and undid the towel that had shielded her hair from the water. Most other women simply tied it up into a bun atop their head or something, but hers was not quite long enough for that. _Long hair's impractical anyway, though I wouldn't want it short like a boy's. Then again, boys don't always have super-short hair…wait, why am I thinking of hair anyway?_

Ryoka let out an irritated huff, then looked around her. She was alone here, as she knew she'd be-this particular hot spring was essentially a hidden gem, not many knew of it. And it was the best of the best, as she knew well from her lifelong obsession with hot springs. Starting as something she viewed as a luxury, eventually it had become a part of her daily life, a place to decompress after yet another mission.

 _And yet, I can't truly enjoy it. Not while each and every time, I know I have to go back there._

Every single day, Ryoka cursed the decisions that had led here to this point. It was like she'd jumped from the frying pan of her evil parents' old friends into the fire of her controlling distant relatives. Just like how as a teenager, she'd jumped from the frying pan of parental abuse into the fire of being an orphaned girl with blank spots in her memory and a whole lot of emotional damage- _that fire, I never really escaped-_ not to mention the black cloud hanging over her as a suspected murderer. Even after the investigations had proved that though she'd attacked them, they had actually killed each other in a drugged rage, it had hung over her. Which was why she'd ended up in the frying pan of those wannabe big shots (as she'd remembered the twins putting it, that time they'd rescued her) who swore revenge against her parents' murderer, never mind that she was their daughter.

All she'd ever wanted was a way out, to distance herself from it all and find herself again. Or rather, find herself for the first time, because she'd never really had much of an identity before her parents' death. That year in 3E, which was supposed to have been a punishment, had shown promise of being the thing that would be the way out. Sure, they'd had to kill a weird, possibly intergalactic, creature. But the laughter and inclusion and studying-for the first time, she'd learnt what normal was. And she'd actually been able to believe that normal was for her. She'd aimed for high school, thought about what career paths she could take that'd involve birds or hot springs or at least something that was mundane but still fulfilling. She'd believed, and then she'd gone on the run, and everything had disappeared.

 _And now, I'm here._

And now that she was here, she was even more trapped. She'd thought being aligned with powerful relatives would keep the others off of her back, and that she'd be able to exist in a normal world again. She'd been making plans to resume her high school education via adult learning programmes or something, to actually attend one of those reunions she knew Misaki was always trying to organise, to just see all those friends of hers again in one way or another (those brief moments when they got her out of bad spots for a night or two were not reunions, not by any means). If she'd known they were powerful political figures with a taste for war, she would not have even approached them. But she had, and now she was stuck, with no freedom. All she had were her memories.

The towel now undone and her chin length hair freed, Ryoka sighed and ran her fingers through it absently, before turning next to her and rummaging in her make-up bag for her comb, hairgrips and hairbands, and starting to comb her hair.

" _Hmmm, actually, what if we did….."_

 _Kanae held up the small section of hair that she'd just plaited, and attempted to wrap it around Ryoka's head. Following the motion of her hands, Ryoka silently sat there, not sure what comment to offer._

" _Oh, I see what you're getting at, but rather than around like that, what about we redo the plait and-" Misaki came around to crouch in front of Ryoka, and took over from Kanae._

" _That tickles." Ryoka said as Misaki fiddled with sections of hair behind her ear, undoing and redoing the plait swiftly._

" _Sorry, sorry," Misaki said smiling at Ryoka. "This shouldn't take too long…let's see."_

" _What are you even doing, Yuki?" Toshiko asked._

" _You'll see…ah, there we are. Ino-san, pass me the mirror."_

 _Misaki reached over Ryoka's shoulder to grab the mirror, and then she held it in her hands, level with Ryoka's face._

" _Niiice. Watcha think, Ryo?"_

 _Ryoka didn't answer Kanae, instead studying her hair. It was still mostly down, with that distinctive kink to it, but now instead of looking wild, it was combed neatly. One side of her fringe had been incorporated into a tight French plait that framed that side of her face, disappearing behind her ear and keeping the rest of her hair on that side out of her face. The fringe on the other side had been left unstyled, but it was combed in such a way that though it covered that side of her forehead, it wasn't likely to fall in her eyes._

" _What about this side?" Ryoka touched the unstyled side of her fringe._

" _Do you want it plaited?" Misaki asked._

" _I think it looks better like this-it's neat, but slightly quirky. " Kanae pronounced._

" _Yes, I have to agree," Toshiko said haughtily. "It would look too fussy if we did both sides, and simple styles suit your face better. I think this fits that bill."_

 _Ryoka considered all this as she looked at her reflection. She tilted her head this way and that, considering it at different angles. And then, she looked straight at Misaki, and at Kanae and Toshiko in the reflection of the mirror, and made her pronouncement._

" _I like it."_

As her fingers deftly weaved the plait, Ryoka felt a few silent tears leak out of her eyes, travel down her face and plop down onto her lap. How she wished she could go back to those days, see all of them again. Even Usagi, with his hair obscuring his eyes and his weird manner. Even the intimidatingly intelligent Eiji. Even the scrappy, growly Michio. All of them. If she could see them one last time before she died, she'd be happy.

 _But that doesn't seem like it will ever happen. Not with this situation I'm in._ Once again, Ryoka was filled with the yearning to have this moment in this place never end, so that she would not have go back to what was awaiting her. Not just the general situation she was trapped in, but the tournament she was being sent on. That life or death one, where warriors battled for a wish. It was not for a couple of years yet, but already she was being trained for it, though there was no point. She was no warrior, she was useless to the ones sending her beyond being their lackey, and she didn't even have a wish that made it all worth it.

 _Or do I?_

Ryoka finished her hair, and quickly started to dress, but the realisation was making her head spin. _Wanting to see everyone again, just wanting to be normal. Wanting my freedom. That's a wish, isn't it? And what was it they said about it-that any wish could be granted. Any wish at all, no matter how big, small, expensive or silly. So maybe I could…._ the sheer possibility of there being hope threatened to overwhelm her, but as she'd gotten used to doing, she squashed that hope flat.

"Or maybe," she scolded herself as she scooped up her bag and left the room. "I'm just jumping into another frying pan, again."

 _But either way. It's not like I have a choice._

 **…**

"It's Tsukui."

"Oh? No good afternoons?"

"Tch. I'm with Emi," Michio did his best to keep his voice to a whisper as he juggled the sleeping toddler, two full-to-bursting shopping bags and the mobile phone. "We've just come home from the hospital."

"And how is dear Mayuri-Chan?"

 _Don't say her name like that, you slime, she's still in middle school._ But sliminess aside, the guy meant well, and Michio had to answer him anyway, so he just sighed.

"There's not much of a change. "

"So the fucking doctors haven't found a cure."

"No, they most certainly have not. They're trying though, to give them credit…." Michio sighed.

Really, he wasn't sure if they deserved credit. Maybe the nurses and people, who tried to keep Mayuri comfortable, who talked to her and kept her company whenever he wasn't able to visit, the ones who slipped treats into Emi's hands and cash into his pocket so he could make the rent. They were powerless, really, and those small things made a difference. But the big shots, the doctors with all their fancy equipment and words, who puffed themselves up with status but didn't do anything? They deserved nothing.

"Hello?"

"Yes, I'm still here dude." Michio snapped irritably, before tensing and turning his head to check on Emi. She was still asleep, face peaceful as her head snuggled against his shoulder.

"Right, right. What I was going to say is, you're really in need of a miracle, huh?"

"You don't think I know that?"

 _But there's no such thing as miracles. If there was, then Yagi would have been cured the moment he married into the Tsujie family and had that cute kid of his. If there were miracles, then those of us who're in complete pickles right now wouldn't be. I just gotta survive through each day and do what I am actually able to do with my own hands…_

… _and that's why I'm mixed with you in the first place,_ Michio silently told the person he was on the phone with. _Because there is no such goddamn thing as miracles._

"Sure, sure, I know that. But what I don't get is, you've got the opportunity for a miracle right in front of you."

"I already told you, I can't."

"What, cos of the kid and Mayuri-Chan? I told you, we'd make sure they were provided for and all in the slim event you lost this thing-which you wouldn't, by the way. You're the Mad Dog, are you not?"

 _Yes, I am. But Mayuri isn't like that, and I don't want Emi to grow up like that. I got into this life in the first place so they wouldn't have to consider such things._

"So what if I am? The Clan of the Dog has better fighters, don't they?"

"But none with your ability."

"The stakes are too high."

 _The same old, same old._

"And so you've said. But I could argue that the stakes are too high for you to just toss up this opportunity."

 _Huh. That's a new one._

Before Michio could formulate a response, he heard soft snufflings, and then.

"Papa?"

"Emi's woken up, I'll talk to you later."

Quickly, he hung up, snapped the phone shut and shoved it away, and then attended to his daughter. But not before the person he had been talking to said one more thing:

"This isn't over."

 **…**

 _My, for a place so derelict, it's absolutely pristine here._

This is what Toshiko thought as she approached the building and strode through its fancy glass doors. But even as it was something worth noting, it was not that much of a surprise for her. After all, until very recently, the city hadn't been derelict at all-it had been just like any other city, bright and busy, buzzing with life. It had been wiped out by the organisers of the _Juuni Taisen_ just so that it could be used as the venue for this year's tournament. Just like that.

 _Such is the power of the Juuni Taisen,_ Toshiko thought with some pleasure as she scanned the foyer and made for the stairs. The building, she knew from the invitation, was 150 floors high, and though there were lifts, she was no fool. So, the stairs it was.

 _It's no hardship for me though. I got in plenty of practise for this back with Father's school system, which was meant to be my so called punishment. And look at me now!_ Her efforts to get herself into the _Juuni Taisen_ had been long and hard, taking twelve long years- _Oh, hey, exactly how long it's been since the year of 3E-_ and now her little sister, who had been the first pick, would not even be anybody's last pick for a battle. Kiyoko was now completely incapable of fighting, her mind simple and childlike, her movements ungainly with stupidity, and all she was good for was spending days in a drugged haze watching TV and doing art therapy. There was no way she was fit for something as important as the _Juuni Taisen_.

 _And honestly, she's safer that way._ It was a weak, sentimental thought, but if there was one thing she'd learnt from 3E that she was able to take to battlefields was that having such thoughts weren't weak in themselves. It was just a case of making sure you were alone and safe enough to indulge in them, or at the very least find a way of turning that weakness into a strength. Just as she'd used her concern about her sister to reclaim her place in this tournament for herself. _Anyway, I'm alone here, but not necessarily safe. I'll shunt that aside now…._

With a perfect, elegant toss of her meticulously styled hair, Toshiko pushed aside her weak, sentimental thoughts and thought about her battle strategy. Winning, of course, was what she was aiming for, and she didn't have too many concerns in that respect. The main thing was to win with elegance and poise, as befitting her name and status. But how exactly to do that would depend of course on the rules of the game and the specific opponents she faced, and she wouldn't know that until she got there. She had tried to do some research on her possible opponents, but even by the _Juuni Taisen_ standards, the information seemed shrouded in utter secrecy. Not a single clan had made a public claim, and there hadn't even been lists of possibilities from the clans, either. The most she'd been able to find was the faintest of faintest rumours that this year's Warrior of the Ox would be none other than Eiji Kashii, known as the Genius or The Natural Born Slayer. The same Eiji she'd once been classmates with. Despite the fact he had once been a child soldier, Toshiko knew that this sort of tournament would not be his thing at all, so she was tempted to dismiss those rumours as nothing but.

 _Then again, I assumed the rumours of Kashii-kun being in 3E were little more than rumours, but then what happened when I walked into 3E's classroom on the first day? He was there, cool as you like._ Toshiko chuckled at the memory, but quickly grew serious. Dismissing the rumours out of hand would be dangerous, so she had to think of what to do if he was there. It would change nothing for her-she wasn't about to give up victory because of sentimentality. On the other hand, there was more than that at stake. She would lose as much face refusing to honour their connection as if she won this thing with sweat and indignity.

 _Though having someone with his skill level partner with me would be beneficial, in the long run that could end up weakening me. Perhaps I could approach him and suggest we go our own way but concentrate on taking out the other ten first, and then having a fair, one-on-one fight afterwards._

Ascending yet another flight of stairs, Toshiko lost herself in the fine details of planning for this eventuality, and so she almost missed the sound of the lift of that floor dinging and the heavy footsteps. _Must be another participant,_ she thought, even as she spun around, ready to confront and fight them if need be.

"Toshiko-san...no, I mean, Ino-san?"

Toshiko stopped short, floored by the familiar voice. _Yoshimi? But no…_ The man standing in front of her looked nothing like the lean, slender Yoshimi she remembered from that year, and for a few years after that before he'd apparently become a hermit or something. This man had a similar height, sure, but he was _humungous_ , muscles _everywhere,_ facial features broad if well-defined. To Toshiko, this man seemed something like a cross between a gargoyle and a sumo wrestler. But the voice was the same, exactly the same.

"Yoshimi." She stated, not sure if she was asking or stating. Subconsciously, she touched her earrings. _Yoshimi._

"Oh."

The relief on his face clinched it for her-though the features making the expression were so different, she would recognise that particular facial expression anywhere. Memories flooded her, and she did her best to shove them in the corner. Sure, inside her head she was alone with the thoughts, but she was not safe with them. _If I keep thinking like this, I'll be undone before we even begin._

"Oh." Yoshimi repeated. "You do recognise me. That's good."

"Yes, well…" Toshiko found herself lost for words, and wondered why. "Let's keep walking."

"So….you're a participant too, huh? From your surname, I'm guessing you are the Warrior of the Boar?" Yoshimi asked, wistfully as they did so.

"Why else would I be here? And yes, I am. Who are you meant to be?"

"Horse. And, I didn't mean it like that…" Yoshimi stuttered. "I…just…I don't think I'd be able to kill you."

"Then why are you here?"

The question came out harsher than Toshiko had intended it, and she instantly regretted it. _So what if we were comrades once? So what if I might have loved you once? The_ Juuni Taisen _is the_ Juuni Taisen, _I've been fighting for this chance since before meeting you or any of them. That entitles you to a fair fight, like I was thinking of approaching Kashii-kun for. But…_

When Yoshimi didn't answer, Toshiko huffed.

"So? Where've you been hiding all these years to get yourself looking like that?" She asked him.

"Getting stronger." Came the simple answer.

"Riiight….." Toshiko looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "For the _Juuni Taisen_?"

"For you." When Toshiko raised her eyebrow even further, Yoshimi squirmed. "Not just you, specifically, but all our classmates. I didn't expect any of you would be here."

"I see. Well, it's not like I expected you to be here either."

"Hmmm. You know, Ino-sa-"

"Toshiko." She interrupted harshly. "You're really going to go back to formality after everything?"

"Oh, right, then…Toshiko-san?"

"Yes, what is it?"

 _Pretend to not care. Pretend to not care._

"I….I missed you."

Toshiko could not respond, and for a moment, she pretended she was ignoring him. _If you missed me, then you shouldn't have hidden yourself away for whatever reason you decided to. You should have actually come to see us. You should have kept in touch. Don't come to me with such weak-spined confessions._ Toshiko sighed, trying to dispel her anger.

"Yes, well…." _I might as well, soon enough it won't matter._ "I did, too."

The hope in Yoshimi's eyes when she said this was too much for her, so quickly, she sought to shut it down.

"In any case, given our history, I propose we focus on quashing the others, then have a fair fight, one on one on one."

"One on one on one?" Yoshimi echoed.

"You're aware that Kashii-kun is most likely this year's warrior of the Ox?" she asked.

"…I heard something like that, but I didn't believe it. He's always been trying to leave the warrior life, hasn't he?"

Toshiko could have face palmed.

"You do realise this is the _Juuni Taisen_?"

"Right…." To her relief, it did look like Yoshimi got it, so she didn't have to mentally bang her head on the wall any longer.

"So, a fair fight at the end. It's the best that can be done, in the circumstances."

 _And when I win, I'll make sure you are both remembered. I'll let you be buried with the greatest of the greatest, you will have the best memorials. I will hire people specifically to take care of your graves and perform the appropriate rites on anniversaries. I will visit you, and remember you, and mourn secretly. But that is all. There is no real way for me to turn our past into a strength, here it will always be a weakness. This is the best that I can do._

 _I'm sorry._

Yoshimi absorbed her offer with little more than a silent nod. His eyes looked troubled, but he didn't question it, or process it. As soft as he was, he was smart, and though Toshiko was sure that in the end he'd probably try to let her (or Eiji, or maybe both of them) win, no matter what it was he'd decided to fight for in the first place. She did not ask, and tried her best to not look like she wanted to ask, and instead just carried on striding up the stairs, letting Yoshimi follow her.

They remained in silence as they reached the top floor, and Toshiko led the way to the huge double doors she knew led to the meeting spot, when the lift pinged. _Another warrior._ Instantly, Toshiko turned around, ready to be imperious and formidable, to intimidate them with her dignity, when the doors opened, and an all too familiar figure stepped out, recognising them immediately and beaming.

"Ino-san, Soma-san! How are you?"

 _Oh, great, it's you._ Toshiko rolled her eyes at Misaki's cheerfulness. _Are you not even aware of the situation?_

"I'm fine, thank you, Yuki-san, under the circumstances…" Yoshimi responded.

"Oh, that's good to hear! Where've you been all this time, you never come to reunions or see any of us….we would have to end up meeting here in all places, wouldn't we? Oh well, I suppose that gives me more motivation for my plan."

 _Plan?_ Toshiko studied Misaki as she cheerfully prattered on at Yoshimi. Putting aside the slightly baffling matter of how she'd managed to recognise him after such a dramatic appearance change, it seemed like Misaki was clearly up to something by being here. From 3E, Toshiko knew that the oblivious part of her cheerful oblivion was often just an act-she was smarter than she seemed, and used that to her advantage when she needed.

The only problem was that, Misaki being the do-gooder, pacifist that she was, Toshiko knew that the concept of the Juuni Taisen was utter anathema to someone like her, more so than it was for Eiji, no matter what rewards were offered. On the other hand, Misaki was a peace negotiator, someone who made a career out of wading into wars and ending them, finding peaceful alternatives. And what was the _Juuni Taisen_ , if not a war?

 _But that's impossible. That is impossible, and ridiculous. And I can't let it happen._

"And Ino-san, how are you? Nervous?"

"Me, nervous? Don't be stupid." Toshiko said with a toss of her hair. "I've been preparing for this most of my life. By the way, what clan are you representing? I can't work it out."

"The monkey. My guardians are distant relatives of the clan." She replied. "And, I see. Well, that's good for you. In any case, I suppose we should go in now. Most of the others must have arrived by now."

"I'll lead the way."

Before either Misaki or Yoshimi could protest, Toshiko strode forward, and pushed the doors open, and then led in.

"Hello, everyone, I trust your wait has been pleasant, I am-"

"Well, well, look who it is. You look as splendid as ever, dearie."

Toshiko drew to a halt and stared down, astonished, at Sumihiko, who had come to stand directly in front of her, wearing a straw hat and old-man clothes, carrying a basket of some sort.

"Yagi-kun?!" she asked.

"It's Tsujie now, dearie. But my oh my, to see you here. And is that Yuki-san there? How exciting. And who is this large fellow here?"

"That's Soma-kun, Tsujie-kun." Misaki said from behind her. "Is this everyone?"

About to say something withering to Sumihiko, Toshiko paused at the inflection in Misaki's voice. _Something is wrong._ Tensing ever so slightly despite herself, Toshiko tried her best to remain poised.

"What do you mean?" she asked without looking behind her.

"What the fuck, you mean you don't recognise me either?!" a female voice burst out.

Toshiko turned to the owner of the voice, and paid proper attention to her for the first time. The tiger-print bikini and leather jacket were a curious choice of battlefield outfit, not to mention a horrible one. But the moment she looked at the face of the person wearing that outfit, she knew who it was right away. She opened her mouth to say something, only for someone else to speak.

"Mate, Kashii didn't even recognise you-we've never seen you in such a state of undress before!"

"Shut up!" Kanae Aira told Takeyasu hotly before turning back to Toshiko.

"I recognise you, Aira-san." Toshiko told her, making a dismissive hand gesture.

 _I recognise you, and Yagi-no, Tsujie-kun-, and the twins, and….yes, as I suspected, Kashii-kun, too….more classmates than expected, but this changes nothing. We can team up and take out the remaining warriors…._

Toshiko looked over to see who they were, only to see that Misaki had rushed over to the tables loaded with food, flinging her arms around a male and female who were standing around there, both looking faintly unsettled (increased more so by Misaki rushing at and embracing them). The female was also dressed in a revealing outfit that looked ridiculous, even more so by the fact it was complemented by a huge red-and-yellow feathery looking cloak, while the male was of a slim build and wearing some sort of armour over tight black garments. When Misaki actually let them go, the female just blinked and looked dazed while the male surveyed everything with all-too-familiar, sleepy eyes. _Sumino-kun, and Niwa-san._

 _So, that makes…._ Toshiko paused and counted the familiar faces off in her head, trying to ignore Misaki's babbling and the other chatting going on around her. _Nine of us. Nine of us from 3E. That's fine, this still changes nothing, I can just…_

Tsugiyoshi's sleepy gaze eventually made it to her, and he raised one of his just as sleepy eyebrows.

"So, this is a class reunion, huh?"

The words were almost mouthed, and Toshiko had to really strain to work out what he was saying-lip reading had never been her strong suit-but it was enough to make Misaki's stream of questions stop as she regarded him seriously.

"What do you mean by that?" Misaki asked. "I mean, there's most of us here, but-"

"Nah, the kid's right. This is a class reunion alright, though not exactly a happy one."

Toshiko jumped, and though she quickly recovered her poise and stilled herself, she couldn't conceal her surprise as she looked over into the far corner of the room to see none other than Michio Tsukui, looking meaner and gruffer than ever, busy wrapping a section from his ripped cloak-which looked slightly better than Ryoka's, being in an elegant black and fur lined-around a gash on his arm. Nearby, there was a muscular man who was in more of a state of undress than either Kanae or Ryoka, anxious look on his face as he hovered watching Michio. It took a few moments for this man to notice the attention suddenly turned on them, but soon enough, he turned, and though the face was older and the eyes blackened, Toshiko recognised him, too.

"Tsukishiro-kun?" Misaki exclaimed, enough shock for both of them in her voice.

"I didn't mean to!" Rei exclaimed. "I didn't recognise that it was Michio and I was scared! I know you're not supposed to hurt friends and I'm sorry!"

 _Well, at least now I know what that's all about, but really?_ Toshiko turned around slowly, and looked at all of them. _My opponents….are my former classmates?_

"For fuck's sake, I said it was okay, didn't I? I didn't recognise you, either!" Michio growled.

He finished bandaging himself, and then strolled over to them all. Rei stared, still snivelling a little, and then loped over to join them.

"I see what you mean now, Sumino-kun…." Misaki said thoughtfully.

Toshiko waited for her to say that this gave her more motivation again, or something like that. But she didn't, instead she just looked around, waiting for someone to say something. But nobody did. Instead, with all of them gathered right there by the tables, they all just looked at each other, not sure what to do. Because whatever had led them all to this point in time, none of them had been expecting this.

 _But this changes nothing, right? This changes nothing. I've still been fighting for this chance since forever, and I'm still going to win this._

 _This changes nothing. This changes nothing._

That was she kept trying to tell herself as the silence ticked by and they all struggled to work out what to do, what to say. _This changes nothing,_ that was what she kept saying, knew she should say.

But she knew all too well that it was a lie. Because this changed everything. Absolutely everything.


End file.
